spooky

adjective

ˈspü-kē 

spookier; spookiest

1

: strange, unsettling, or frightening in a way that suggests or relates to the supernatural : eerie, uncanny

a spooky coincidence

[Caroline] Shaw's composition … is a mysterious and densely layered four-movement work … with vocalization and spookier in-between sounds that originate deep in the throat: moans, gasps, exhalations of breath.

—Gia Kourlas

Olivia Wilde's new film … owes a debt to many spooky dramas about the dark side of the suburbs—think The Stepford Wives, with even more of a sci-fi edge.

—David Sims

sometimes, specifically : relating to, resembling, or suggesting ghosts or spooks

a spooky old house

Spooky stories of Hawaiian night marchers (ghosts of warriors and chiefs) lurking around bushes and walking the trail are often told, but these haunted tales are not true, according to Lopaka Kapanui, a Native Hawaiian master storyteller …

—Christina Hitt

2

: nervous, skittish

a spooky horse

spookily

ˈspü-kə-lē 

adverb

spookiness

ˈspü-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of spooky

• excitable
• nervous

Examples of spooky in a Sentence

The music was pretty spooky.

a spooky horse shying at shadows

Recent Examples on the Web

The dramatic lighting and wax museums are just spooky enough to summon the spirit of the witch trials without being off-putting for children. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026

The Haunting at The Ridge has become spookier in its third year with more actors and a live stage show with the Cabaret Sinister. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

Note the Saturday daytime fest hours are more kid-friendly, with spookier fun unfolding at dusk. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

The 20th century in particular abounded in such visions, some of which—The Handmaid’s Tale, or Brave New World, published in 1932 and getting spookier every day—have proved more prophetic than others. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spooky

adjective

ˈspü-kē 

spookier; spookiest

1

: relating to, resembling, or suggesting ghosts

spooky houses

2

: skittish sense 2

a spooky horse

spookiness noun